Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
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Enjoy tender, juicy Peruvian-style roast chicken drizzled with a spicy and irresistibly good green sauce.
This is my take on Pollo a la Brasa, the delicious roast chicken made popular by so many Peruvian restaurants. The chicken is first marinated in olive oil, lime juice, garlic and spices, and then oven-roasted until tender, juicy and crisp-skinned. The accompanying green sauce, which gets its color from cilantro and jalapeño peppers, is spicy, creamy and downright delectable. You can put it on virtually everything, and it even doubles as a fabulous dip or salad dressing.
What you’ll need to make Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken
Before we get to the recipe, a few words on buying a whole chicken. In the poultry department, you’re likely to find birds labeled “broilers,” “roasters” and “fryers.” These labels are based on the weight of the bird, and are meant to suggest a method of cooking. This recipe calls for a four-pound chicken, which is typically considered a “fryer.” This might seem strange since we’re roasting but don’t worry about it — all of these chickens can be used in recipes interchangeably.
How to make Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken
Begin by making the marinade. Combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, cumin, and oregano in a blender or mini food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Using your fingers or a wooden spoon, loosen the skin over the breasts and legs of the chicken.
Spoon 2/3 of the marinade under the skin.
And rub the rest over top. Place the chicken in a bowl and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and set the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. I like to tuck the wings underneath the bird and tie the legs together so the bird holds its shape.
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden, and then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and roast for about an hour and ten minutes more. Let the chicken rest, covered with foil, for about 20 minutes before carving.
While the chicken marinates, make the green sauce (recipe adapted from the Serious Eats Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt).
Simply combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, lime juice salt and pepper in a blender or food processor.
And process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. It will seem thin at first but, don’t worry, it will thicken up as it sits.
Keep in mind that the heat in the sauce comes from the ribs and seeds in the jalapeño peppers. I use about half of the seeds and ribs for a medium-hot sauce. If you’re worried about the heat, you can always leave them out at first and then blend them in to taste. (Also, be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.)
Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish the sauce with a sprig cilantro, if desired, and serve with the roasted chicken.
Note: The green sauce in this recipe is adapted from one of my favorite columns, the Serious Eats Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
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Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
Enjoy tender, juicy Peruvian-style roast chicken drizzled with a spicy and irresistibly good green sauce.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice, from 2 limes
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 pound whole chicken
For the Green Sauce
- 3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded if desired (I use about half the seeds for a medium-hot sauce), and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a blender or mini food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels; place in a bowl, breast side up with the legs facing you. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingers, loosen the skin from the flesh over the breasts and legs, being careful not to tear the skin or push all the way through (you want the marinade to stay inside the bird). Spoon about ⅔ of the marinade evenly underneath the skin, and spread the remaining ⅓ evenly over the skin. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Spray a rack (preferably a v-shape) with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees, and continue to roast for about an hour and ten minutes more, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (Keep an eye on it -- if it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.) Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes. Tilt the chicken over the roasting pan to release the juices, then transfer to a cutting board. Carve the chicken and serve with green sauce.
For the Green Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. With the motor running, open lid and slowly drizzle in olive oil. It will seem very runny at this point but, don't worry, it will thicken up as it sits. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: Be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the green sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 614
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 49 g
- Sodium: 694 mg
- Cholesterol: 340 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I’ve had Peruvian chicken at a restaurant and love it so I wanted to try and make it at home. Thank you very much for this recipe, it’s easy to follow and unambiguous. I followed all directions except that I cooked the chicken over charcoal. It was excellent and the sauce pushed it over the top. I can’t wait to try some of other recipes!
Can the sauce be frozen? I’m thinking not…
I’ve never tried freezing it so I’m not certain, but you could certainly give it a try.
I am Peruvian. I’ve been eating Pollo a la brasa since I was a child, I’m in my 30’s. For about 10yrs I ate it weekly on family night in NYC. I’ve since moved out of state and I wanted to find a recipe to make pollo a la brasa at home. This recipe is just oven roasted chicken, I used the exact measurements. I’m so very disappointed it is labeled “Peruvian style”. The “green sauce” gets 2 out of 5 stars. I think the only saving aspect is the fact that it’s the right spicy flavor. I wish the person posting would rename this recipe and remove “Peruvian”.
If you have a better recipe please share.
Cheryl, I have to agree with Josue on this. I too have eaten this sauce for at least 30 years and LOVE it. I think it would be an EPIC fail to remove the name Peruvian from it. That’s what it is. If you are Peruvian and have a better recipe, please share it with the group or provide your changes to this recipe. I’m sure Jenn would appreciate your input, other than remove the Peruvian name. That’s how I came across it. Thanks again Jenn!!
I have to agree with you Cheryl. I live in DC & we have great peruvian options. I was exciting about making this @ home. I did not enjoy the recipe. It’s a good baked chicken recipe but Peruvian, no way.
This was so delicious and easy! I used legs and thighs instead, and I cooked for about 50 minutes. The chicken was so tender, and nice crispy skin. The sauce is insanely good. I made with your Thai Quinoa salad and a side of roasted potatoes and carrots. The only complaint was from my poor husband grumbling there were no leftovers! Thank you Jenn for another great recipe. I am more confident cooking for my friends since finding your website 🙂 Cant wait for your cookbook!
I made this and it was delicious. I’m planning to make it again for some friends and was wondering if you could suggest a few side dishes to go along with it?
I came here to ask the same question! Especially since I have a vegeterian in the group. Thanks!
We usually serve it with sweet potato fries or Spanish rice.
We make the chicken on the grill beer can style. We use the green sauce on like everything, but I do use less mayo and sour cream.
Wonderful recipe. Whole family loved everything. Chicken flavor excellent. Green sauce better than my nearest Peruvian restaurant . This recipe is gonna stay with me forever.
Unbelievable!!! Who needs to go out for Pollo La-Brasa! I did not have time to marinate the chicken for the recommended time, so i used legs and thighs an vacuum sealed it for about three hours. That was amazing flavor. I can only imagine what the chicken would taste like if it marinated overnight! Thank you for recipe.
I forgot the limes!! 🙁 can I sub for lemons instead? Do you think it will have a big effect on taste? Thanks!!
Can you use cut up chicken or drumsticks instead of a whole chicken?
Yes, Mary, that will work — just be sure to place the chicken pieces on a rack to the skin crisps up.
After moving to Switzerland where good ethnic food is lacking I was looking for a recipe to duplicate one of my favorite dishes from NYC’s Pio Pio. This was AMAZING. And I say this as my chickens are cooking rotisserie style in the oven still. While they were cooking I just tested out the recipe on some chicken legs baked at 425 for 30 minutes. I also made the green sauce (which I can never get enough of) with some healthier ingredients as I was horrified to find out how much fat the real recipe would have me consuming. I subbed sour cream for plain 3.8% fat yoghurt and subbed the mayo for 60% reduced fat Swiss mayo (that tastes just as good as the full fat version and even better than Hellmans). The sauce was delicious and while right now it is a bit runnier than usual, I’m hoping it thickens. If not, next time I will use Greek yogurt instead.
I would have to agree. Reminded us of Pio Pio as well. This recipe is awesome. I always make this with roasted potatoes and a simple green salad. We could drink the green sauce.